Orange Zucchini Bread

Vegetable Crossing:

I know most of you are convinced I am on a mission to turn you all into vegetarians; not that there is anything wrong with vegetarianism! I am obviously an advocate for salads, veggie stir fry and sandwiches with little more than a slab of beautiful, icy cold sweet potato, tahini and some fresh greens. I admit, I am a self-proclaimed veg-aholic.

My brother and I both made forays into the world of 60-40 (veg to everything else) diets in college to save money. Of course, I still salivated over pot-roast with smashed potatoes or politely gorged on a platter of dragon rolls and salmon nigiri every once in a while. How could I not? The main reason I am posting so many veggie dishes is to make use of the summer produce available at such low prices! Recipes circulating around multi-purpose veggies like zucchini, peas, carrots, sweet corn and tomatoes just make sense when they are a fraction of their normal price. Point in case, last week my grocery bill was $15 (plus tax). I was cooking for two, my full-grown and carnivorous father and myself. Not surprisingly, during the week we had Ranch Turkey burgers, Veggie Lo Mein and Southwestern Omelets. Each meal relied largely on in-season veggies so buying the produce that was on sale that week saved a ton! Of course, that meant "Chocolate Covered Strawberries" were out for dessert. Sorry Dad, maybe next time.

This week I needed to use up the remaining zucchini and prep a good afternoon snack, so Cooking Light's "Zucchini and Orange Bread", sounded like the perfect thing. Plus, it has a scrumptious orange glaze, reminiscent of those sinful Pillsbury Orange Cinnamon rolls you make at midnight when you're sitting around with nothing better to do. Zucchini is especially useful this time of year because it can be the star of any number of easy dishes and eaten at almost every meal. Steamed or baked it is the perfect side for everything from a grilled chicken breast to a juicy, cheddar cheese and bacon burger. Slice it for lasagna, saute it with some pasta or lo mein, even fry it and serve it with horseradish mayonnaise on a crispy baguette. Try grating it with carrot and sweet onion for a new twist on a traditional salad. And, of course, enjoy it for breakfast in this scrumptious quick bread. At only a few dollars a pound zucchini is one of the seasons most economical vegetables.

This bread is incredibly dense and moist with a pungent, sweet orange flavor. In a way it resembles a pound cake but the flavor is much lighter and, well, there isn't a stick of butter in sight. For more texture add the 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. Just don't forget to pour the glaze on while the bread is still warm. Be sure to remove it from the pans first, otherwise the glaze will seep down into the pans and make the loaves especially difficult to remove. If you don't have a wire rack just yet go get one!

Note on Ingredients: I didn't have quite enough zucchini so I finished off the second cup with a grated carrot. Alternatively, skip the zucchini and use 2 cups of carrot and a quarter cup raisins for a nice change. The original recipe calls for egg substitute but since I didn't have any, and didn't want to alter the health benefits, I used 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce. Does that make this vegan? Hmmm... The loaves come out dense, moist and a shade of storybook gold. Perfect for snacking!

Ingredients:
Makes 2 loaves (freezes beautifully sans glaze)

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt, scant
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup applesauce, or egg substitute
1/3 cup vegetable oil
zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/3 cup walnuts or raisins

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon zest

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease two loaf pans.
2. Wash and dry the zucchini. Using a box grater grate 2 cups worth and set aside.
3. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well with a whisk and make a well in the center of the mixture.
4. Wash and zest the orange.
5. In another cup mix the egg substitute (or applesauce), orange zest, juice, vanilla, oil and sugar until combined. Add to the flour mixture, folding gently until combined.
6. Fold in the zucchini (and walnuts or raisins if you are using them) and split the batter between the two greased loaf pans.
7. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and a tooth pick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
8. Prepare the glaze: Mix the remaining orange juice and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the remaining zest and stir until smooth and combined.
8. Cool the bread for 10 minutes in the pans. Then, run the blade of knife around the loaf to gently separate it from the sides of the pan. Invert the loaves and the bread should slide out. Place on a wire rack with a large pan or plate below it to finish cooling.
9. While the bread is still hot spoon half of the glaze onto the top of each loaf. It will almost immediately drip down the sides of the loaf. Cool completely before serving.